The leaflet produced by protestors. Courtesy of Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives. www.alga.org.au

The Sydney Gay Rights Embassy was part of a law reform campaign that was given additional impetus following repeated police raids on gay venues during 1983.

On 6th September, protestors set up a caravan – replete with various banners – outside the home of New South Wales Premier Neville Wran in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra.

Just in case he didn’t get the message from the banners, they also delivered a letter to him explaining that:

“The central aim of the Gay Rights Embassy that is parked in Wallis Street is to put across our concern over the NSW anti-gay laws and their enforcement in three police raids this year.”

Gay Rights Embassy caravan. Copyright Kendall Lovett 2014. Used with permission. www.josken.net

They also produced a leaflet providing further information about the reasons behind the protest as well as details of other activities that would be taking place as part of the campaign. This explained:

“In the early hours of Saturday, August 27th, NSW police made their third raid on a gay venue in Sydney this year, arresting 11 men who were subsequently charged with homosexual offences.

The embassy was established in response to Neville Wran’s continuing silence on this travesty of civil rights and justice. It is directed to him as Premier and Leader of the Government. We are asking for a government commitment to action on the following demands:

• That a government Bill be presented to repeal 79-81B of the Crimes Act and that the common law offence of scandalous conduct be abolished.

• That all charges against the 27 men are dropped and the police records destroyed.

• That the notoriously homophobic Ernie Shepard be removed as head of the Vice Squad and a public commitment made to no more police raids.”

A little misunderstanding between police and male nuns. Image courtesy of Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives. www.alga.org.au

As well as a public meeting and a rally outside Parliament House, it also included “an exorcism of the spirit of homophobia” by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence outside the Premier’s house.

As this Press cutting shows, the Police apparently thought this was going to be a counter-demonstration and turned out in force – only to disappear quickly following an explanation from Mother Inferior!

On 20th September the ‘ambassadors’ joined hundreds of other protestors in a rally and subsequent march to State Parliament House. This marked the official end of the Gay Rights Embassy but certainly not the end of the campaign.

For example, on 28th September a group of gay activists signed Statutory Declarations that they’d slept with other men and presented these to the head of the Vice Squad. Despite this very public confession, no arrests were made.